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abcworldnews: Would you adopt Kitler? The Daily Mail: An...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:00:19 -0400

Would you adopt Kitler?

The Daily Mail:

An abandoned kitten is struggling to find a loving home because her unusual markings bear an uncanny resemblance to Hitler.

The six-week-old cat - abandoned at the roadside - earned her name ‘Kitler’ because the distinctive black patch on her top lip looks like the Nazi leader’s moustache.

Staff at the animal shelter where Kitler is being looked after say hundreds of people visiting the centre have ignored her and chosen more conventional looking kittens instead.

Customer Service: Turn A Nightmare Into A Dream

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:28:38 -0500

Like most people I deal with some sort of ‘customer service’ on what seems like an almost weekly basis, whether it be for a billing or shipping issue on an account or to get something fixed that is broken.

Over the past couple of years I have started to see a troubling trend when it comes to service and only a few gold star performances. What ever happened to the old saying “the customer is always right?” Here are two companies that understand customer service and satisfaction and how I think they’re making it work.

I’ll protect the innocent when it comes to of all of the nightmare experiences I’ve had this year — from being told that the charges are accurate when they’re clearly wrong, to taking more than an hour to activate a new product and needing to demand a manager on the phone who somehow got it accomplished in 30 seconds. Not to be forgotten was the clearly drunk and abusive waiter who got fired during dinner by the Assistant Manager after the Manager insisted the waiter was just ‘goofy’ and refused to act.

Negative aside there are some very positive experiences I had this year that I hope all other companies can take a lesson from.

The first involved the coffee company N’espresso (twitter: @Nespresso).

I have a couple of their very nice espresso machines. One has a separate “aeroccino” used to warm and froth milk. It requires the use of an electric base which got lost. It was a personal mistake and was no fault of N’espresso. When I called to inquire about whether they sold the base separately rather than the whole device I was told they did not. However the customer service rep immediately asked if she could confirm my mailing address and then told me she would ship me an entire new device at no cost — a $100 product for free — regardless of the fact it was my mistake. A few days later it arrived in the mail and happened to be their newest model, which I did not have before. Here is the kicker to it all — twice since then I have received phone calls from N’espresso to ensure the product was working properly and that I was happy with the company. Now that is what I call good service — a willingness to help the customer without hesitation and then a couple of follow-ups to ensure satisfaction and quality.

The second story involves the smaller cruise line Seabourn (twitter: @SeabournCruise).

I have been on a few cruises with this company and can’t get over the quality of service they provide to customers. While I think the company, like most out there, is working hard to reduce expenses, this company still continues to make sure it keeps the satisfaction of customers at the top of its list. The all inclusive cruise line prides itself on serving the customer with top of the line products, foods and service.

Some examples of their gold star performances: A passenger felt their meal wasn’t cooked as requested. Instead of giving them a hassle, the chef himself came to inspect the dish, apologize to the passenger personally, fix the meal and re-serve it along with a bottle of wine. This cruise line also prides itself on knowing the customers. You can occasionally see managers and staffers studying booklets that contain the passengers’ pictures, names, hometowns and preferences. It is typical for the majority of the staff to know the basics on you from memory within the first 48-hours. It helps build a bond and makes you feel like you’re really important. Lastly, they make sure you’re happy. They do this by simply asking you what you think: is there anything else they can do?; Is there something that they could have done better? The great part is that they follow through by taking your suggestions and putting them to work and you’re able to see that first hand.

Bottom line—how can you turn a customer service nightmare into a dream?

The Customer Is Always Right: Let them know that you understand their frustration. Offer to help them out by sending a new product for free or at a discount. Even if they’re not right, try taking some responsibility on your shoulders and help them work toward a solution.
Personalization: Study the customer’s file and absorb some of it. Try to know where they’re calling from and even ask them what they like to be called — their first name, Mr.___, or Mrs.___, etc. Give them your name and a direct extension if they have additional problems. That can build a short term bond and help them relax.
Satisfaction Guaranteed: As the customer if there is anything more that you can do for them and see if what you’ve done is acceptable. Take their suggestions for improvement if they offer them and then work with those suggestions rather than just tossing them into the circular file. Follow up with the customer through an email, phone call at a convenient hour or through the mail to let them know you care about their experience.

The Upside of Rejection

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:42:31 -0500

bijan:

This morning I was thinking about rejection.

On my way to the office I happened to pass by a former building owned by NYNEX.

Back in early 1991, just months before I would graduate from college, a number of my classmates were getting jobs at fancy big companies in Boston.

Others were going to wall street.

I wanted to do something in the computer industry. And I thought I would stay in Boston. My family was in NY and I liked Boston. It felt good.

So I sent my resume to a bunch of big companies.

One of them was NYNEX. It was a systems analyst job where I would develop and test in fortran. The pay was $35k/year. That was more money than I could imagine possibly needing.

I sent in my resume and they asked me to come in for an interview. My parents bought me a suit and I went in to meet the hiring manager.

Two weeks later I received my rejection letter in the mail. It was one of many.

I was crushed. What was I going to do after college? It seemed like everyone else was getting a job.

I was spending time on AOL in those days thanks to my Mac and a hayes 2400bps modem. And I found what I was looking for. ON Technology in Cambridge was a little startup at the time. They posted a job offer on AOL in the communities forum.

I went to their office and fell in love with the startup atmosphere. They had Macs on everyone’s desk. They were using CodeWarrior. They were building Mac apps (OnLocation & Meeting Maker). It was a brick and beam building and everyone was young and alive. They offered me a job for $20k/year and I happily accepted it.

Less than a year later, I went out to MacWorld San Francisco to help & learn. I fell in love with a girl and that city. I put everything I owned into my hatchback at the time, convinced my kid brother to drive across country with me. We made it to SF in 4 days.

I wonder what would have happened if NYNEX gave me that offer.

Sometimes rejection can be your best friend.

Google

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:27:08 -0500

Google :

Ah…the power of the internet and google!
Father delivers baby using instructions found with Google

The girls at the Pavilion Club at Fenway are awesome! Bday cake...

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:49:17 -0400

The girls at the Pavilion Club at Fenway are awesome! Bday cake and a candle. Thanks Amanda & Diane!

Making Sense Of Social Media

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:37:51 -0400

Making Sense Of Social Media:

Some answers about what social media is, where it came from and who’s using it.

Youth On Twitter

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:14:25 -0400

Youth On Twitter:

Worth a read… some great points here about who’s using twitter and internet safety.

WOW: Twitter to Raise $100 Million in New Funding

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:24:44 -0400

WOW: Twitter to Raise $100 Million in New Funding:

This is amazing — and to think, Twitter still doesn’t have a real business model. It will be fun to see how they generate so much revenue.

Trapped Girls Updated Facebook Status Instead of Calling For Help

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:13:02 -0400

Trapped Girls Updated Facebook Status Instead of Calling For Help:

mashable:

Too much social media can be a bad thing. Two girls lost in a stormwater drain in Adelaide, Australia, updated their Facebook status instead of calling emergency services on Sunday…

This video was extremely welll produced and makes some...

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:16:59 -0400

This video was extremely welll produced and makes some incredible points about social media and its reach. You have to watch it.

tmblg:

Is Social Media a Fad?

This is kind of mind-blowing.

Why You Might Want To Know Your Neighbors

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:38:00 -0400

The tragic crash of Continental flight #3407 just outside of Buffalo, NY in February pointed out something that is becoming all too familiar in our society, and it has nothing to do with the plane. It proved that in this day and age, nobody even knows who their neighbors are.

Did you see any of the interviews from the first few hours after the crash? I saw more than a dozen with “neighbors.” Each time they were asked, “do you know the people in that house, do you know their names or how many people live there?” The answer was always, “I don’t really know them,” or “I don’t know their names.”

“I Don’t Really Know Them”

I noticed while watching these interviews that many of the neighbors seemed almost embarrassed as they made those statements.

I might understand the ‘not knowing’ a bit more if it were more of an urban area, but Clarence Center, NY has a population of only 1,700 with many of the people living there for several years, including the people in the crash neighborhood.

I come from a small town, population about 5,500, and it’s safe to say that everybody knows everybody: their names, how many children they have, where they work and they all know about each other’s personal business, whether or not they should.

My Neighbors

It’s interesting to think about my own current neighbors. The truth is, I don’t really know much about them. I do know the first names of a couple of them, but I don’t know their last names, much about what they do for work or much about their families.

I think they’re probably in the same situation with me and really don’t even know the basics about who I am or what I do for a living.

A humorous point is that I know more about the neighbors who have dogs, probably because you cross paths more often. I still don’t know their names, but I do know the names of the dogs. I have heard lots of people say this same thing and it’s very interesting. They know more about the pets than the people.

The Disconnect

Why is it that we don’t know about our neighbors? I think it has a lot to do with the pace of life. We all work so many hours and have so many other commitments that maybe we’re rarely home or rarely have the extra few seconds that it takes to introduce ourselves. I also think that in current society, and most recently with the current economic situation, that everybody is more ‘me-centric:’ I can only worry about me because that’s difficult enough in itself.

I searched for studies on why people know so little about their neighbors, but I had trouble coming up with much. One that I did find surveyed Europeans and found that Britons were the least likely to know their neighbors. While it didn’t exactly explain why that is, the article pointed out that people in the UK scored lowest for ‘trust and belonging.’

Read: Britons Less Likely To Know Their Neighbors

Why Some Knowledge Might Be Good

Think about the reasons why you might want to know your neighbors. Your own well-being could be impacted.

In the case of flight #3407, had any of the neighbors known anything about the people in the home that the plane crashed into, they could have assisted rescuers. I’m sure the survivors from the home were in shock. A familiar face could have helped calm the victims and assist rescuers in treating them. A knowing neighbor may had been able to tell first responders that there are normally three people in the home; an adult man and adult woman and their 20-something daughter. A neighbor-in-the-know may have also been able to contact family members or close friends to alert them to the tragedy and update them on the conditions of their loved ones.

Along similar lines is the issue of your personal safety. Have you ever checked the sex offender registry to see if your neighbor might be on it and could potentially be a risk to you, your children or grandchildren? Without knowing their name you may be out of luck to run a simple Internet check on them. Have you ever checked the weekly police blotter in the paper? Maybe you have a troubled neighbor who has a passion for breaking into homes, but you’ll never know it if you don’t know their name.

There is also the networking angle. Right now a lot of people are losing their jobs or looking for more stable work. A recent Duke University study said that one of the best ways to find a new job is through your neighbor. The article about the study reads in part:

“Neighbors naturally form social networks, but the question is what is the extent and effect of those relationships,” said Patrick Bayer, the lead author of the study and an economist at Duke. “We found that social interactions among neighbors on a block are an important source of job referrals and that these referrals have measurable economic benefits.”

Read: Neighbors Refer Jobs, Study Says

Getting To Know The Neighbors

If you’re now convinced to get to know the neighbors, how do you go about doing it? There is a guy named Scott Ginsberg who has made a career out of getting to know people. He is known as the “Nametag Guy” because he always wears a “hello, my name is…” sticker.

I read several articles about Ginsberg that said it all started as an experiment in college on how to be approachable. His actions later developed into a book and a job as a career coach and speaker. Ginsberg says the name tag is an icebreaker that invites people to get to know you. I know I am not going to walk around wearing a name tag, so how else can you approach or become more approachable?

Here are my own ideas:

Give a wave, a smile or a hello: I think this makes you immediately more approachable. A neighbor is more likely to ask your advice on how to get the lawnmower going if you have seemed polite and friendly before.
Find a common bond: Do you both own dogs? Try walking them at the same time. You’ll each learn the name of the dogs before you swap your own name. That can let the conversation develop into more about each other.
Take notice: If you suddenly see the neighbor sporting a leg cast, take a second to stop and ask what happened or how they are. Information will start flowing freely. You may even find you have something in common, like you both play basketball at the gym, and that’s how the neighbor got injured.
Include them: If you’re having a bunch of people over for a barbecue, invite the neighbors, even if you don’t know them that well. What’s the worst that can happen? They have a bad time or embarrass you. Well, you didn’t know them anyway! Look at it this way: if they’re at the party, they can’t really complain about the noise.

There are my suggestions for breaking the ice, short of wearing the name tag. What are yours?

What Your Music Says About Your Personality

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:30:00 -0400

I have heard the question asked several times: Does your love of rock music, country or classical paint a picture of who you really are?

A world-wide study published by BBC.com in September 2008 concluded that your music tastes and personality are closely linked. However, some of the findings may surprise you. If you always thought that somebody who listens to loud heavy metal is violent or even suicidal, researchers from Heriot-Watt University say, you’re wrong.

The 36,000 study participants had to answer questions about their personality type and also rate 104 different musical styles.

I already addressed above the stereotype about people who listen to heavy metal. What are your thoughts on somebody who listens to classical? I think that most people would say a classical lover is educated, in a higher class of income and living, a world traveler, has a wide circle of friends and is constantly being ‘social’ at different public events.

This study found that isn’t necessarily the case and that classical-lovers and rockers have a lot more in common than you’d think. While it discovered that they are different ends of the spectrum when it comes to self-esteem, both are at ease with themselves and have a creative side, but it also found that they’re typically not outgoing.

Some food for thought.

Here is the music style vs. personality traits table that Heriot-Watt University came up with. See how you place and leave your results and response in comments:

BLUES: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle and at ease
JAZZ: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing and at ease
CLASSICAL MUSIC: High self-esteem, creative, introvert and at ease
RAP: High self-esteem, outgoing
OPERA: High self-esteem, creative, gentle
COUNTRY: Hardworking, outgoing
REGGAE: High self-esteem, creative, not hardworking, outgoing, gentle and at ease
DANCE: Creative, outgoing, not gentle
INDIE: Low self-esteem, creative, not hard working, not gentle
ROCK/HEAVY METAL: Low self-esteem, creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, at ease
CHART POP: High self-esteem, not creative, hardworking, outgoing, gentle, not at ease
SOUL: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle, at ease

Stumbling On To Free Money In A Poor Economy

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This is a post from my prior blog that people enjoyed. Originally posted 2/9/2009.

UPDATE: He continued his treasure hunt for another couple of days and has made more than $40!

I had to laugh at one of my friends this weekend. Walking down the street in Boston, he saw something shiny sticking out of the melting snow bank beneath a parking meter. It turned out that there were three or for quarters buried just beneath the surface. He snatched them up and started looking for more.

It reminded me of a recent article I read about loose change and the current economy.

I did my best not to laugh, but I had to as I watched him go from meter, to meter, to the next one and then onto the next block. The interesting thing was that at probably half of the meters, he found at least one quarter.

A few minutes of work netted him nearly $5. Not a huge payoff, but in coffee terms, that’s 2.5 venti Pike Place coffees at Starbucks, right?

Now he’s convinced he needs to borrow a metal detector and hit all of the nearby streets a couple of times. He thinks the payoff would be big.

All of this made me think of my grandmother always checking the return change slot at payphones or at vending machines as she walked by them. I used to notice a lot of people doing that, but haven’t in recent years. I thought maybe it was just because you don’t see many payphones anymore. People also don’t carry as many quarters because we all have cell phones and do everything with plastic now.

However, an article I read recently said that the behavior is returning because of the current economy. I can’t remember which web site I read it on, it may have been the New York Times. The writer had some economy and behavior experts noting that more people are checking vending machines, sidewalks and the payphones they can find. It isn’t necessarily because they’re desperate for money, but more the mindset that if they can collect change to continue with daily habits that add up (like that morning cup of coffee) then they won’t have to alter their behavior to adjust to the recession.

It’s all very interesting to think about. I haven’t done it myself, but if I can find $5 in snowbanks in just a few minutes without much effort, I just might have to start!